Personality: A born Savant, Lucio is a cunning young man who craves the wealth and power only Italy has to offer, obsessed with the power of material wealth he believes its the future of man, not troops, land or god. Money alone will swing the pendulum of power. He is completely ruthless in his desires, but before the public he comes off as a whisper. His master is the face of the company and while Lucio is being groomed he has shown only modesty. He despises those who relish a place in the public eye, and follows the path of the vizier he would rather be an adviser than a king.

Background: Born as a third son, of a second son among the family he was initially meant for the church, but his eye for numbers and keen sense for business was caught by his elderly uncle, who for all intensive purposes purchased him from his father, his older brother was instead sent off to the church and sacrificed to the cloth.

While in his Uncles company, he learned the man was infertile, and had produced only two children both girls over the course of three wives the first two had passed away. Many doubted the children were even his. Lucio was this mans closest thing to an heir and he worked tirelessly to please the man. He was one of the wealthiest merchants in the city and Lucio craved the wealth for himself.

Now the mans mind is giving way and many doubt he has much time left, each night Lucio manages to cede more power for himself. His only competition are his uncles two daughters, and he makes sure the whispers of them being born of other men is prevalent. Lucio also considers his uncles third wife with greater and greater affection if only to marry and than remove when no longer useful.

Ambitions: To gain the favor of whoever holds power in Forza, and be named a formal adviser, to gain control of Forzas merchant fleet. To be Forzas wealthiest man.

Personality: She just as quick witted as any many with privilege. However if one where to tell her to keep a secret she would carry it to her grave unless otherwise. She has an artist’s heart and a romancer despite her being a virgin. She loves to study art and politics because she believes they are similar. Very ethical and with good morale towards those she trusts, but when angered she doesn’t bother to hide her emotions and spits out whatever is in her head in the moment.

She often seeks strength in her religion despite her sometimes liberal views when it comes to things like arranged marriages, but she would never tell her family that. Monet is the kind of young woman who follows her heart and thinks with her head later on in some situations, but has always been overly intelligent and brash about the things “men of standard” discuss.

Background: Her mother was of Spanish blood and her father a Miragalino. She gained a love of art from her mother, as well as the love of dancing. She spent her younger years in private schooling with a personal tutor. She can speak fluent English, Latin and Spanish along with being Italian. She can play lute and harp, but art has always been a first love of hers, that and dancing.

Her father completely disagreed with this because it wasn’t a woman’s place. He out lined her education and groomed to become a educated and proper wife to whoever he chose who would be beneficial financially to the family.

Ambitions: Her art to be recognized and her name to be remembered throughout history. Also Finding true love.

Personality: Father Ansaldo Grimaldi is a pious servant of God. He knows how priests are supposed to behave, and plays the role fairly well. Fairly well, but not completely, and not all the time. He enjoys feeling young, and doing the things youngsters do. Riding a horse, throwing a ball, laughing along with the smaller children as they play -- usually to the dismay of the Bishop. Still, he seems to be liked and trusted by most of his parishioners, which can only benefit the church (and their immortal souls.) He's no pushover though ... firm but fair in the confessional, don't confess your sins to him unless you're truly sorry and ready to do some penance ... but when you're done, you know you've done penance and been absolved with Grace to spare. He tends to eat too much of everything offered, and it's beginning to show. Lately he has started getting easily winded by physical activity.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

He likes to pull the occasional practical joke, but ONLY if he can get away with it undetected .. he is especially good with sleight-of-hand tricks. (Who knows when that skill might come in handy!)

Background: He is the third son of a minor nobleman whose influence was considerably diminished as a result of his grandfather backing the loser in some minor conflict decades earlier. That and a propensity to lose at gambling (the grandfather, not Ansaldo) meant options were even more limited. His brothers and cousins for the most part became soldiers or tradesmen. One night when a restless 12 year old Ansaldo was trying to sleep - worried about the beating he would get the following day for failure to know the assigned material for class -- he had a "vision" (or it might have been a vivid dream) of himself one day growing up to be a great theologian and adviser to popes. From that day on he pursued his studies with a vengeance. Now, 19 years later, he is a parish priest, pastor of the large church in the center of Forza -- quite the accomplishment, but hardly the renowned theologian and pontifical adviser he'd dreamed of being. He doubts anyone in Rome knows his name, even the Cardinal who had once been his teacher. Father Ansaldo is also an avid gardener of both flowers and vegetables. (Note that St Agnes of Rome is patron saint of gardeners - among other things.)

Ambitions: Most days the sin Father Ansaldo struggles with the most is one of ambition ... not for worldly goods, titles, or political influence so much as -- fame. He has decided his "vision" was nothing more than the wishful thinking of a child lacking direction combined with worry about his inability to make anyone happy - his father, his priest, his teachers. He struggles with the dividing line between "proving his worth" and the sin of pride that would result should he ever achieve his goal. He longs to be able to do great things, but do them humbly and without recognition.

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(Additional note to players: Father Ansaldo is intended to be a minor player in the game. If you need a priest, come see Father Ansaldo. If you need someone to smuggle arms for the revolution, make deals, or poison an anti-pope, he ain't your guy. He administers sacraments, prays for your characters, provides a conscience for those in need of one, and expects to see you at Mass on Sunday. The person playing Father Ansaldo isn't Catholic, so if he gets something wrong, please forgive him and feel free to provide correction.)

Despite the fact the Miragalinos are richer than her family, she still views them as latin barbarians and has been raised on tales of the sack of Constantinople and the savagery of the uncultured west. If she had her druthers she'd sit with the two maids she brought with her from Constantinople, chatting in Greek rather than the crude Italian and eating oil-drenched food rather than tasteless muck.

She's ambitious, though, and sees no reason why her eventual sons cant be Bishops and even higher. There's the irritation of her lout of a husband not even being the eldest lout of the family, but she's from the city and is certain she can outwit the bumpkins around her to make sure her star ascends.

Background

The Kallierges family are an old Constantinople family trying desperately to rebuild a previous fortune, Christina's marriage into the family is part of a wider plan to have daughters married throughout Terra Firma and into the duchy of Milan. The Miraglinos, with their extensive links to Venice, form a crucial alliance and thats likely the only reason that the family accepted the borderline insulting offer of the third son of the Miraglino family for their eldest daughter a few months ago.

She's been baptised into the Catholic faith (Thanks Fra. Grimaldi) but isn't entirely clear on its doctrines and, in her heart, retains her Eastern Orthodoxy.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

I realise she's old to be a newly wed. This is to fit with E's policies and I'm kinda hoping that we can handwave the inaccuracy.

I, real life me, am from a Catholic family so if people have queries then shout up - if I cant answer I know a grandmother who can.

AmbitionsThe same as any noblewoman. Have strong sons who will rise to prominence, have daughters who will marry profitably. Along with that, shes a strategic marriage herself and wishes to help her former family's interests in the area.

To get the best matches for her daughters and influence for her sons, she needs to raise the profile of her part of the Miraglinos. So be it.

Personality: Most who observe Felisa see a meek, obedient woman, simply following orders, speaking when spoken to, and going about her daily chores while trying to stay out of her family’s way. Behind her blue eyes, however, thousands of thoughts fill her head.

Because of this, her family is unaware of her passion for literature; most think she incapable of reading. Luckily for her, however, her grandfather (a Barbarossa), favored her and showed her how. She sometimes struggles to form the words on the page, but she’s determined to work through it word by word until she understands.

Background: As the niece of Orlandus Barbarossa, Felisa serves her relatives as a chambermaid. They look down on her, step heedlessly over her, expecting their breakfasts in their beds when they wake and for her to pick specs of dirt from underneath their fingernails. Needless to say, Felisa feels the sting of bitterness in her gut.

Half the time she envisions herself pouring poison into their drinks, though she knows she would never have the courage to. Still, she knows she was made for more than bed-making and helping her cousins to get dressed. She’s determined to somehow find a way to escape her bonds and live in comfort.

Ambitions: To better her prospects and gain some comforts for herself and her family.

Familia: N/AOccupation: Doppelsöldner;"Double mercenary". He is a landsknecht that is extremely powerful, skilled, and cunning; because of his competency, he is often paid twice the going rate of a traditional mercenary.

Personality: Surly, grim, intense, and serious are all good words to describe the stout German mercenary. Thorough fits as well; dedicated and reliable, too. Despite his stiffing intensity, he has a soft spot for children, and often relaxes around them. He tends towards bluntness in conversation.

Background: His father, Heinrich, was a mercenary captain, and his mother,was the daughter of a miller, whom he had been trysting with. Of course, when the miller found out, their was a commotion over the whole thing; however, it was settled peaceably, with Heinrich marrying the daughter, Wilhelmina.

Two years after the marriage, Wilhelmina grew large with child, and nearly a year later, gave birth to Gustav.

When he was young enough to work, he did so at the mill, where he grew some muscle and grit from the physical labor. When his father was not campaigning, the man took the time to instruct his son in the fine art of fighting.

When Gustav turned 13, he began to go into campaigns with his father, serving at least initially as something akin to a squire, while he continued to hone his abilities. Though his father taught him well with how to handle the axe and the sword, he also became a good shot with a crossbow.

Uncommon as it was, he even learned how to read and write along the way from a lass who was one of the camp followers, who was, herself, the daughter of a scholar, and who often found work keeping the men warm and full with food, or being filled herself with... well, it really doesn't need to be mentioned.

One of the things Gustav never understood is why she seemed to settle so easily into that role, when her brilliant mind had so much to offer, and could be put to such better uses.

When Gustav was 17, his father became gravely injured during a battle that did not go well. Though he lived, many men did not, and many camp followers perished in the aftermath as well; the bright girl, Berchta, was never discovered, alive or dead.

The mercenary band that his father had made became disbanded, due to loss of men, loss of fame, and Heinrich's wounds. Though he is still alive to this day, he lives on as a cripple that can barely manage to pull his own weight, working for his father in law.

Gustav took two years of time out of his life to help around the farm, and continue to practice his fighting; this time with the Zweihänder his father had used, rather than the Katzbalger he had practiced with before.

Another year later saw Gustav working alongside some other mercenaries, making their way slowly across the land, out towards Italy, where their was a high demand for mercenary armies.

Fast forward to the present day. He's made a solid reputation for himself, for his dependability as a guardian, and his expertise in fighting. He is even known to possess a modicum of tactical skills, and has learned the local language well.

He is striking, for a Landsknecht, in that he does not bother with the foppish accoutrement they are known for.

He currently works for the Duke of Forza, and is thus considered a citizen.

Ambitions: Gustav ultimately wants to recreate the "Black Wolves" mercenary company that his father originally ran.

He also seeks to study the tactics and strategies of Forza; after all, it was a man of Forza that wounded his father so badly, and it was the Firenzian's that crushed the Black Wolves to dust.

equipment:

Zweihander

A sword that is six feet long, from the tip of the blade to the pommel. A simple, sturdily built weapon, that requires great strength to properly wield.

Katzbalger

A two and a half foot long arming sword, and a symbol of the Landsknechte

Cranequin

A Cranequin crossbow; it stores and utilizes a large quantity of energy, necessitating a mechanical crank to cock the crossbow. It can punch through all but plate mail armor.